Water heater



A. F. PASSMORE AND E. B. FLETCHER: WATER HEATER. APPHCAIION men 00125, 1920.

1,408,634, Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

INVjgNTURE- 4a Wm Fi .3.. 4 4 53m.

UNlTEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALPHONSO r. PASSMORE AND EENEsT B. FLETCHER, or TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

, WATER HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

To all ic/tom it may concern Be it known that we, ALPHoNso F. PAss-' MORE and ERNEST B. FLETCHER, subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to water heaters and pertains more particularly to the instantaneous type, in which the coils leading from the water supply encircle the heating element. l

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth, which may be heated eitherby an ordinary gas burner or by an electric current passing through certain. resistance elements.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of detachable connections for transforming the device from a gas to an electric water heater or vice versa.

The heater is hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the-accompanying drawings in which' Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section/of the improved heating device, with portions broken away and portions inelevation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental detail elevation of the electrical resistance and thesupporting element for'the same;

Fig.8 is a fragmental vertical section of the gasflheating element; and

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the gas heater supporting collar end of the burner illustrating the connection of the gas burner thereto, the latter being in elevation.

In the drawing like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. g

Referring to the drawings, the \numeral 1 denotes a metallic casing of substantially cylindrical conformation, which houses the water jacket, preferably formed of copper coils 2 of well known construction. The upper and lower convolutions 3 and 4 of the coils '2 are provided with horizontal extensions 5 and 6, which project outwardly through openings in the upper and lower ends of the heater casing 1 and likewise the asbestos casing 7 enclosing the said heater casing. 5 5

The extension 6 is connected to the water supply pipe 8 by a coupling member 9, while gers 23 or arcuate configuration.

the other extension 5 is connected to the hot water outlet pipe 10 by the coupling 11, and said pipe communicates with a tank (not illustrated).

The heater casing proper is. preferably supported in upright position by the inlet and outlet pipes 8 and 10, though it is pos- Slble to provide a bracket, not illustrated,- for supporting the said casing.

The lower end of the casing 1 is interiorly threaded at 12.

In Fig. 1 is illustrated an electrical heating device adapted for connection with the casing 1 in the following manner. A

threaded portion 12 of the casing 1 extends below the asbestos casing 7 and is adapted for the reception of the threaded portion 18 of the collar 17 The plate 14 is provided with a central opening and two relatively large openings one at each side of the central opening. v

A metal rod 19 has its lower threaded end 20 screwed into the central opening of the plate 14 and it extends upwardly through the greater part of theopen space between the coils 2. Thisrod 19 has attached to its upper threaded end 21, the spacer member 22. This spacer member 22 is preferably constructed of porcelain or vitrified clay product and comprises preferably four fin- The arcuate portions of said spacer member 22 are adapted for engagement with the inner surface of the convolutions at the upper part of the coils 2 and serveto hold the rod 19 centrally of the coil space.

A nut 23 is mounted onthe threaded portion 20 of the rod 19 and provides the supporting ,means for the tubular member 24. This member 24 is constructed of some Preferably formed integral with the said' tubular member 24 are the annular disks 25,

which latter are arranged in spaced apart relation, throughout the entire length thereof. These disks are formed with four open-- ings 26, through which pass the longitudinally arranged electric resistance wires 27 and 28. The lowermost'disk 29 is formed with diametrically disposed openings in which are mounted the binding post terminals 30 and 31.

The wires 27 and 28 are formed of continuous lengths of spirally wound high resistance metal, bent at approximately their medial point and the depending portions of said wires are passed through the openings 26 in the disks 25.

The openings 26 are arranged in such manner that the depending portions of the wires 27 and 28 extend in staggered relation to the entire length of the tubular member 24. The lower ends, one each of wires 27 and 28, are soldered tothe lead wires 32 and 33 at the opposite sides of the tubular member 24. These wires 32 and 33 are bent around the post terminals 30 and 31 circuit. Whenever demanded a ground wire will be filled. It will be evident that a.

, distant control switch may be employed either instead of or in addition to a switch in the box 13. The resistance wires 27 and 28 are energized by actuating the snap button and the current passes from the positive to the negative terminals of the switch in the usual manner. The heat radiations are communicated to the convoluted portions of the water coil 2 and thus a continuous supply of hot water is provided.

As heretofore stated, the apparatus may be transformed from an electric heater to a gas heater and withthat purpose in view, we have made provision for the detachment of the switch box 13. This switch box, by-

virtue of its threaded connection with the casing 1, may be unscrewed therefrom and the entire heating element comprising the tube 24, rod 19 and resistance wires 27 and 28, removed.

An angular plate 40 is formed with an upstanding peripheral flange 41, vent openings 42 and a sleeve 43. The flange 41 is exteriorly threaded and takes into the threaded lower portion 12 of the heater casing 1. An upright tubular gas burner 44 has its lower end seated in an opening in the sleeve 43, whereby the same is sup ported centrally of the space between the coil convolutions in the casing 1. This upright burner 44 is provided with the gas outlet openings 45 and is locked in position by a screw 46. The burner 44 has its upper end sealed, while its lower end projects through the sleeve 43 of the plate 40 and is connected in any appropriate manner to a mixing chamber 47 of usual construction. A pipe 48 leads to the gas supply and will be provided with a suitable cock for regulating the flow of gas therethrough. The burner will be provided with the usual pilot 53.

Mounted within the upper outlet end of the casing 1 is an annular plate 49. This plate 49 is formed with an annular depending flange 50 fitting within the casing. The upper surface of the plate 49 is provided with an annular flange 51 forming a collar for a smoke pipe.

In the opening in the plate 49 is fitted a disc damper member 55, which damper member is formed as a conical plug. A rod 56 secured to the end of the gas burner 44 will lift this plug when the burner is in place thus giving free access for the prodnets of combustion, while the damper is free to drop when the electric heating ele-' ment is in place thus closing the casing.

A pipe 57 is connected to the annular flange 51 of the plate 49 and leads to a chimney pipe, not illustrated.

It is obvious that the device may be readily transformed from an electrically heated heater into a gas heater by the removal of the resistance element and substitution of the gas burner described, or a burner for liquid fuel might be used.

What we claim as our invention is 1. A heater comprising a casing and a fluid pipe surrounded thereby, said casing being adapted for interchangeable connection to electric and gas heating elements.

2. A heater comprising a casing and a fluid pipe surrounded thereby, and means for interchangeably connecting electric and gas heating elements to said casing.

3. A heater comprising a casing, a jacket surrounding said casing, a coiled fluid pipe enclosed within said casing and the said casing being adapted for the reception of interchangeable electrical and gas heating elements.

4. A heating apparatus of the character described comprising a casing, a heat retaining jacket surrounding said casing, a fluid pipe disposed within said casing, supporting means for said casing, the said casing being adapted for connection with interchangeable heating elements.

5. A heater comprising an inner casing and a heat retaining jacket surrounding said casing, a coiled fluid pipe arranged within said Casing, the lower end of said casing being interiorly threaded, an electric heating element adapted for location centrally of the said casing, a switch box, a plate arranged on said switch box, said plate being detachably connected to said casing, the said electric heating element being secured to said plate and said casing adapted for the reception of a gas burner upon the disconnection of the said electric heating element.

6. A heater comprising an inner casing, a coiled fluid pipe arranged within said casing, said pipe being connected to inlet and outlet pipes, saidcasing having a threaded lower end, a plate connected with said casing, a gas burner mounted in said plate and extending upwardly within the coiled portion of said fluid pipe, and the said casing being adapted for the reception of an electric heating element upon the discon nection of said gas burner supporting plate.

7. A heater comprising a casing, a coiled fluid pipe disposed within said casing, a

a plate connected to the lower end of said casing, an electrical heating element adapted for location centrally of said casing, a switch box, the said plate being connected to said switch box, a rod attached to said plate, an insulating element arranged on said rod, disks of insulating material supported by said tubular insulating element, said disks provided with spaced openings, resistance wires supported by said insulating element, the depending portion of said wires extendmg in staggered relation the length of the insulating element, terminals arranged within the lower of said disks, lead wires connected to one each of the depending portions of said resistance wires, and said terminals, a switch arranged in said switch box and positive and negative lead wires connecting the switch with the said terminals.

8. A heater comprising an inner casing, a water coil disposed within said casing, an electric heating element, a switch box containing a switch, a plate connected to said casing and box and adapted to support the said heating element and a spacer member connected to the said heating element for hollding the same centrally of the said water 001 9. A heater comprising a casing having a threaded lower end, a water jacket disposed within said casing, a heating element arranged for location centrally of the casing, and a base plate connected to said heating element and being formed with an annular collar exteriorly threaded for the reception of the lower end of the said casing.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, this 13th day of October, 1920.

ALPHONSO F. PASSMORE. ERNEST B. FLETCHER. 

